A team of paleontologists from various institutions, including the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, Kent State University, the University of Michigan, and City University of New York, have made a thrilling discovery. They unearthed the fossilized remains of a mammal species that lived approximately 65.5 million years ago. This newly-discovered species belonged to the group Periptychidae, which eventually gave rise to modern hoofed mammals like deer, cows, and pigs.
The ancient creature, named Militocodon lydae, was roughly the size of a chinchilla and weighed between 270 and 460 grams. It is believed to have had an omnivorous diet. This species lived in what is now the United States, around 610,000 years after the mass extinction that marked the end of the Cretaceous period.
The fossil skull and jaws of Militocodon lydae were discovered in the Corral Bluffs area of the Denver Basin in Colorado. This area is part of the D1 sequence of the Denver Formation and spans from the uppermost Cretaceous to the lower Paleocene periods. The discovery of this fossil provides valuable insight into the early diversification of mammals following the extinction of dinosaurs.
The study on Militocodon lydae was published in Journal Mammalian Evolution. Dr Tyler Lyson curator at Denver Museum Of Nature & Science stated that this discovery helps us understand how life rebounded after mass extinction event that wiped out dinosaurs . The well preserved fossils found at Corral Bluffs have allowed scientists to paint a clearer picture about this critical period in Earth’s history.
In conclusion, this discovery sheds light on how life rebounded after a significant mass extinction event that wiped out dinosaurs and gives us a better understanding about early diversification of mammals following it.
